Al Watt & Hattie Benitz Page last modified:

C.A.M. ‘Al’ Watt & Hattie B. Benitz
(1874-1969)     (1882-1968)

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Al & Hattie Watt
La Cumbre, Cba., ca.1965
(Source: Stuart B. Pryor)

We provide a draft of Al's famiy history in the Watt Ancestors button above.  Information about Hattie’s ancestors is available via the buttons to the left of her name above.

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Al’s own list of accomplishments
(Source: Michael Mohr-Bell)

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Al & Hattie’s Event Timeline

NOTES:

Year Age Event
1874-03-04 0 Charles Alexander Morgan Watt. Al, was born at Ea. “Las Tres Lagunas” (next to present day Las Rosas, SFé.)
1882-03-15 0 Hattie Burdell Benitz, Hattie, was born at Ea. “La California”, Las Rosas, SFé.; the first child of William Otto Benitz and Clara Electa Allyn.  The Burdell family were friends in California (US), Rancho Olompali belonged to them.
1892-1894 18-20 Al claims he was mayordomo at Ea. “San Andrés”, Las Bandurrias, SFé (per age, more likely a segundo, i.e. apprentice)
1895-1897 21-23 Al claims he was mayordomo at Ea. “Santa Lucía”, Venado Tuerto, SFé (per age, more likely a segundo, $a 200 = U$D 80 pm.)
1897-1899 16-17 Hattie travelled with her parents & family to the UK and the US.  She & sister Katie accompanied their grandmother, Josephine Kolmer-Benitz, to California before rejoining their mother in Winona, Minnesota.
1898-1915 24-41 Al was managing partner of Ea. “San Andrés”, Las Bandurrias, SFé. ($a 3,000 = U$D 1,250 pm)
1903-1904 29-30 Al managed Ea. “Las Lomas”, Las Rosas, SFé. for Martinoli and Grant. ($a 1,500 = U$D 625 pm)
1904 22 Hattie and sister Katie travelled to the US on the SS Byron, arriving New York, June 1904, continuing to Winona, Minnesota.
1905-1908 31-34 Al was partner with Martinoli in Ea. “Las Lomas”, Las Rosas, SFé. ($a 2,500 = U$D 1,040 pm)
1906-03-17 32 & 24 Al & Hattie were married in Rosario, SFé.  They had 6 children: Percy 1906, Alpin 1909, John 1913, May 1918, Frank 1920, & Jimmy 1922.
1911-1915 37-41 Al managed “Campos de La Vasco Argentina”, founded with Martinoli, 2,500 has. ($a 1,500 = U$D 625 pm)
1916-1921 42-47 Al rented Ea. “Las Bebidas”, Ordoñez, Cba. (30 km. SSW of Bell Ville, Cba.); added a partner in 1919. (rent/ha. £1 = U$D 4.70)
1919 45 Al Bought Ea. “La Peregrina”, 1,600 has., $a 130/ha. (total $a 208,000 = U$D 90,435)
1920 46 Al bought 300 hectares near Tortugas, SFé, $a 120/ha.; (total $a 36,000 = U$D 14,400)
& rented 5,300 hectares near General Roca, Cba. (west of Tortugas, SFé.)
1921 47 Al sold Ea. “La Peregrina”, 1,600 has., $a 230/ha. (total $a 368,000 = U$D 122,700)
& sold land near Tortugas, SFé., 300 has., $a 200/ha. (total $a 60,000 = U$D 20,000)
1921-1923 47-49 Al, with partner, rented Ea. “Los Primos”, Carlos Pellegrini, SFé., 2,700 has., $a 26.67/ha. (total $a 72,000 = U$D 24,000)per year
1927 July-Oct. 45 Hattie travelled to England with May (age: 9).  Son John Erskine Watt (age: 14), in school in England, had become ill (brain tumour).  He died 18 Sep. 1927, in Alton, Hampshire, & was buried in Avon.
1928-1931 54-56 Al, having exhausted his and Hattie’s inheritances, went to work for Shell-Mex, capacity unknown.
1930s 50s Hattie, with her younger children, lived with her brother Willie at Ea. “La California”, Las Rosas, SFé.  Jimmy attended St. George’s College, Quilmes, BA.  Frank attended Wye College in England (April 1938 - May 1939).
1939 May-Aug. 57 Hattie visited sons Percy, Alpin, and Frank in England.  Toured Scotland with Frank.
1930s & 1940s - Al worked for The Buenos Aires Herald as the night-editor.
1940s - During WW-II all four sons served in the RAF as pilots; two gave their lives: Percy in 1939, Jimmy in 1943.
1960s - Al & Hattie retired to live in La Cumbre, Cba.
1966 - Al & Hattie moved to Finca “Suma Huasi”, San Rafael, Mza - the home of daughter May & her husband Jay Mohr-Bell.
1968-07-14 86 Hattie died at Finca “Suma Huasi”, San Rafael, Mza, and was buried in San Rafael, Mza.
1969-03-17 95 Al died in Buenos Aires (city) and was buried in San Rafael, Mza.

© Peter Benitz (Benitz Family)